Fresh off its runnerup finish in the 2007 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Women's Cross Country Championships,
Saint Xavier featured two runners in the top five of last year's league championship meet and four among the top nine overall, but still fell three points short of unseating Olivet Nazarene, which totaled 37 points to the Cougars' 40. Nonetheless, SXU garnered six of the nine first-place votes and 62 votes overall in this year's poll to earn the top nod. Olivet Nazarene, which collected the other three first-place votes, totaled 57 votes.
Illinois Institute of Technology was chosen as the third-place favorite with 43 votes after finishing in that spot one year ago, while University of St. Francis rounded out the upper bracket with 41 votes.
Trinity Christian College gained the No. 5 spot with its 31 votes, while Robert Morris College was one vote back with 30.
Rounding out the poll were first-year competitor Judson University (23 votes), Calumet College St. Joseph (19) and Cardinal Stritch University (18).
The complete 2008 CCAC Preseason Women's Cross Country Coaches Poll is listed below:
Team (1st Place Votes) Total Votes
1. Saint Xavier (6) 62 votes
2. Olivet Nazarene (3) 57
3. Illinois Tech 43
4. St. Francis 41
5. Trinity Christian 31
6. Robert Morris 30
7. Judson 23
8. Calumet St. Joseph 19
9. Cardinal Stritch 18
| Illinois Tech at | |
| Earlybird Invitational hosted by Elmhurst College @ Eldridge Park, Elmhurst, IL | |
| Trinity Christian at | 5:00pm |
| Elmhurst College Meet | |
| Robert Morris at | 5:00pm |
| Elmhurst College (IL) Earlybird Invitational | |
| St. Francis at | 5:45pm |
| Elmhurst College Early Bird Invitational | |
| Trinity Christian at | 5:00pm |
| Elmhurst College Meet | |
| Robert Morris at | 5:00pm |
| Elmhurst College (IL) Invitational | |
| St. Francis at | 5:00pm |
| Elmhurst College Early Bird Invitational | |
| Judson vs | 2:00pm |
| Spring Arbor University | CST |
| Mt. Vernon Nazarene Invitational (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) | |
| Viterbo University at | 3:00pm |
| Trinity Christian | CST |
| St. Francis vs | 4:00pm |
| Trinity International | CST |
| University of St. Francis Tournament | |
| University of Great Falls vs | 4:30pm |
| Olivet Nazarene | CST |
| Westminster College Classic (Westminster College) Salt Lake City, Utah | |
| Saint Ambrose University at | 7:00pm |
| Cardinal Stritch | CST |
| Olivet Nazarene at | 3:00pm |
| Roberts Wesleyan College | CST |
| Roberts Wesleyan College Tournament | |
| Maryville University-St. Louis at | 5:00pm |
| Trinity International | CST |
| Judson at | 7:00pm |
| Embry-Riddle (AZ) | CST |
| Embry-Riddle Invitational l Prescott, AZ | |
| TBA at | |
| Calumet St. Joseph | |
| Crimson Wave Tri | |
| Robert Morris at | |
| Calumet St. Joseph | |
| Cal College Tri-Match | |
| Robert Morris vs | |
| Clarke Univeristy | |
| Cal College Tri-Match | |
| Doane College vs | 1:00pm |
| Olivet Nazarene | CST |
| Labor Day Classic | |
| Lourdes College at | 4:00pm |
| Illinois Tech | CST |
| Illinois Tech Tournament | |
| Saint Xavier vs | 4:00pm |
| St. Catherine's | CST |
| Saint Xavier/Illinois Tech Crossover Tournament - Sept. 3-4 | |
| Trinity Christian vs | 4:00pm |
| University of St. Mary | CST |
| SXU-IIT Crossover | |
| Trinity International vs | 4:00pm |
| Kansas Wesleyan University | CST |
| IIT Tournament | |
| William Penn University at | 4:00pm |
| Cardinal Stritch | CST |
| Wolves Weekend Invitational | |
| St. Francis vs | 6:00pm |
| Siena Heights University | CST |
| Saint Xavier/Illinois Tech Crossover Tournament | |
| Illinois Tech at | 3 |
| Ashford University | 4 |
| Cornerstone University at | 0 |
| Saint Xavier | 1 |
| Cardinal Stritch at | 3 |
| Mount Mary College | 0 |
| Holy Cross at | 3 |
| Andrews University | 3 |
| Trinity Christian at | 3 |
| Ashford University | 0 |
| Purdue Calumet at | 0 |
| Goshen College | 3 |
| Trinity International at | 3 |
| Indiana University Northwest | 0 |
| Holy Cross at | 2nd of 12 |
| St. Francis August 30th - 31st | |
| St. Francis at | 1 |
| Purdue Calumet | 0 |
| Scrimmage | |
| Calumet St. Joseph at | 1 |
| University of Saint Francis | 3 |
| St. Francis at | 6 |
| Iowa Wesleyan College | 0 |
| Holy Cross at | 2 |
| Moody Bible Institute | 5 |
| Culver-Stockton College at | 1 |
| Trinity International | 1 |
| Cardinal Stritch vs | 1 |
| Northwestern College | 0 |
| McKendree University at | (2OT) | 1 |
| Judson | 2 | |
| Judson Classic l McKendree is #21 in NAIA National Poll. | ||
| Grand View University at | 3 |
| Saint Xavier | 2 |
| Missouri Baptist College at | 0 |
| Illinois Tech | 7 |
| Hannibal-LaGrange College at | 2 |
| Robert Morris | 1 |
| Augustana College at | 3 |
| St. Francis | 1 |
| Exhibition | |
| Culver-Stockton College at | 3 |
| Calumet St. Joseph | 2 |
| Saint Ambrose University at | 1 |
| Olivet Nazarene | 0 |
| Cardinal Stritch at | 3 |
| Northwestern College | 1 |
| Saint Xavier vs | 1 |
| Graceland University | 2 |
| Graceland/Grand View Invite, Graceland ranked No. 7 in NAIA | |
| Robert Morris at | (2OT) | 3 |
| Grand View University | 2 |
| St. Francis vs | 3 |
| Bethel College | 1 |
| University of Michigan-Dearborn Earlybird Tournament | |
| Judson at | 10:00am |
| Clarke College Invitational (E. Dubuque, IA) - Locoma Golf Course | |
| Robert Morris at | 12:00pm |
| University of Wisconsin--Parkside | CST |
